January 27, 2025

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

Today, January 27, marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp named Auschwitz.

More than six million Jews died in the Holocaust, and more than one million were killed in Auschwitz alone. Many Romani people (Gypsies), homosexuals, persons with disabilities, and Soviet prisoners of war were also killed at the camp.

Recognizing that “in order to liberate mankind from such an odious scourge, international co-operation is required,” the international community at the UN General Assembly in 1948 unanimously adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It was the first human rights treaty the UNGA adopted.

The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide is “a crime” which “they undertake to prevent and to punish.” In the treaty, “genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: (a) Killing members of the group; (b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; (d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”

The United Nations designates January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Regarding the devastating situation in Gaza, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres last year warned, “Today, we are witnessing hate spreading at alarming speed,” and called on people around the world, “Let us speak out for human rights and the dignity of all.”

In order to prevent genocide from occurring, all nations as well as civil societies around the world should abide by the UN Charter and international law, and promote inclusive dialogues rather than confrontation and division. Civil society, in particular, is required to have the courage to speak out against war, poverty, and human rights violations that are occurring right before their eyes.

Currently, 153 UN member states participate in the Genocide Convention, but Japan has yet to ratify it. Akane Tomoko, the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), said that she feels “embarrassed” about it from an international perspective. The Japanese government should join the treaty as early as possible.